Monk FAQ
Monk FAQ created by CaptainKO
Date: 12/27/07
Version 1.01
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Table of Contents
A. Attributes & Skills
B. Feats
C. Gameplay
D. Races
E. Multi-Classing
F. FAQs
G. Copyright
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A. Attributes & Skills
Strength - (15)+5
Strength is need for carrying items, raises you're Attack Bonus (aka AB) for
melee weapons and doing more damage. The amount of weight you can carry goes up
with every point of strength you receive and the damage you do with a weapon
does up every 2 points for +1 to damage and attack bonus. If you have a
Strength score of 10, you'll gain no benefits to damage, attack bonus and the
weight you can pick is standard. If you're Strength goes below 10, you'll start
to suffer -1 penalties towards AB, damage and the amount of weight you can
carry with every -2 you lose. (Penalties apply to weight every point taken from
strength)
Monks are a melee class so they should devote every single point to their
Strength attribute. A score of 15 Strength is a good start and you should put
+1 every four levels for a total score 20. This will not only help with damage,
but with your knockdown ability as well.
Dexterity - (16)
Dexterity is need to raise your Reflex saves against damaging spells, raise
your Attack Bonus (aka AB) for range weapons, Dexterity-based skills and traps
as well as raising your Armor Class (aka AC) for a better defense. Your Reflex
saves, Dexterity-based skills, Range AB and AC are raised by +1 points every 2
points of Dexterity you get. If you have Dexterity score of 10, you'll gain no
benefits to your Reflex saves, Dexterity-based skills, Range AB or AC. If
you're Dexterity goes below 10, you'll start to suffer -1 penalty towards any
Dexterity based-skill, AB with range weapons, reflex saves and AC.
You only need a score of 16 to get Whirlwind Kick to become a tornado monk.
Parry (Dexterity-based skill): This is a defensive mode skill that works only
in battle. The calculations for this is Parry DC + Dexterity vs. Enemy AB. If
the roll is 10 or higher, you'll perform a counter attack. You can only block
and counter attack as many attacks you can perform in one round, which means
you can only perform 3 successful blocks and 3 successful counter attacks.
(Unless you have two-weapon fighting) A monk fights better on the offense, not
on the defense so parry is useless.
Tumble (Dexterity-based skill): You are able to roll and save against attacks
while moving. The calculation for this is Tumble DC + Dexterity + Dice Roll vs.
DC of 15. Tumble adds +1 AC Every 10 points of tumble. Your doesn’t wear armor
so it would be a good idea to put points towards this skill.
Hide & Move Silently (Dexterity-based skill): These skills are mentioned
together because both skills work with stealth mode. These skills are debatable
as its usefulness depends on your style of play and how often you end up in
cramped areas. Like the Rogue's version of Stealth, the Monk’s version of
stealth is inferior to other stealth-based classes like the Ranger or
Shadowdancer. This is because other classes get HIPS (Hide in Plain Sight),
doesn't meaning you can go in stealth any time you like.
Not to mention, you don’t get sneak attack.
Constitution - (14)
Constitution is need to raise one's Health Points (HP), Constitution-based
skills, and Fortitude saves against poison, disease, negative energy affects &
death spells, attacks and traps. Your Fortitude saves, Constitution-based
skills, and HP are raised by +1 every 2 points of Constitution you get. If you
have Constitution score of 10, you'll gain no benefits to your Fortitude saves,
Constitution-based skills, or Health points. If you're Constitution goes below
10, you'll start to suffer -1 penalty towards Fortitude saves, any
Constitution-based skill, and HP.
A Constitution of 14 is good if you want to gain 10 HD every level instead of
the standard 8. Remember, monks don’t wear armor so the higher the better.
Intelligence - (10)
Intelligence is needed to gain another skill points and raise your score for
Intelligent-based skills. Your Intelligence-based skills and Intelligent-based
skills are raised by +1 every 2 points of Intelligence you get. If you have
Intelligence score of 10, you'll gain no benefits to your Skill points or
Intelligence-based skills. If you're Intelligence goes below 10, you'll start
to suffer -1 penalty towards Skill points and any Intelligence-based skill.
For humans and other races except the Sun Elf and the Half-Orc, an intelligence
of 10 is all you need. The Half-Orc and the Sun elf can a score have 6.
Lore (Intelligence-based skill): You can identify items that appear to be
unknown when taking them out of the chest. If you want to save money, then
you'll put points towards this skill.
Wisdom - (14)
Wisdom is need to raise one's Willpower save against mind spells, attacks &
traps and Wisdom-based skills. Your Willpower saves and Wisdom-based skills are
raised by +1 every 2 points of Wisdom you get. If you have Wisdom score of 10,
you'll gain no benefits to your Willpower saves and Wisdom-based skills. If
you're Wisdom goes below 10, you'll start to suffer -1 penalties towards
Willpower saves and Wisdom-based skills.
For Monks, Wisdom serves as an extra source of AC. A monk should always have
score of 14 and nothing below. Don’t break your neck trying to raise this
attribute to empower your monk feats because they’ll become useless at higher
levels.
Spot & Listen (Wisdom-based skill): This gives the Monk the ability to see or
hear anyone in stealth sneaking up on them. These skills will allow you to see
sneaking characters, but not invisible characters. This isn't needed for
Original Campaign, but is greatly need in PvP and PvE servers.
Charisma- (8)
Charisma is needed to raise points toward Charisma based-skills. Your Charisma
based-skills are raised by +1 every 2 points of Charisma you get. If you have
Charisma score of 10, you'll gain no benefits to your Charisma based-skills. If
you're Charisma goes below 10, you'll start to suffer -1 penalty towards any
Charisma based-skills.
This ability is really important for a monk as a Monk will talk with their fist
more so than their words.
Diplomacy (Charisma-based skill): Monk, this mainly convincing the person to
end a conflict or give you additional depending on your sore. When the option
comes up, you'll be asked to
either come to an agreement.
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B. Feats
- Class Feats
Stunning Fist: When you attack an opponent using this feat, you are able to
daze the opponent for a few rounds if they can save against a DC consist of
half your class levels + Wisdom Modifier. Stunning Fists is useful in the
beginning, but after level 8, the feat becomes useless.
Fast Movement: You gain the ability to increase your speed with every level.
*Cleave: You were suppose to get this feat; unfortunately, due to bad
programming, you were denied this feat. You can still get this feat through
power attack and cleave, but you’ll be wasting two feats to do it.
Furry of Blows: If the bread and butter of your monk combat. It adds an
additional attack as your levels scale. In the beginning, you’ll miss a lot due
to the penalties, but as you get high in your levels, you’ll miss less because
of you gain Greater Flurry of Blows. Greater Flurry of Blows takes away all of
the penalties and you gain a 7th attack by level 20.
Unarmed Strike & Improve Unarmed Strike: You automatically get this feat to
ensure you don’t get AOO’ed when using your first.
Unarmed Strike damage: Unarmed Strike damage goes up every four levels after
level 3.
Level 1-3: 1d6/1d4 (Medium size/Small Size)
Level 4-7: 1d8/1d6
Level 8-11: 1d10/1d8
Level 12-15: 2d6/1d10
Level 16-19: 2d8/2d6
Level 20: 2d10/2d8
Wisdom AC: You gain +1 extra AC for every +2 additional points you into Wisdom.
As long your Wisdom is above a score 10, you’ll gain AC benefits.
*Monk AC: You gain an additional +1 AC for every 5th level after level 1.
Level 5 AC +1
Level 10: AC +2
Level 15: AC +3
Level 20: AC +4
Deflect Arrows: You can deflect projectiles from range weapons so long as you
aren’t caught flat-footed. Good to have when running down a range-attacker.
Ki Strike: Your fists now count as enchant weapons and you are able to bypass
certain damage reduction abilities or spells. You gain an additional Ki Strike
for every six levels after level 4.
Level 4: Ki Strike +1
Level 10: Ki Strike +2
Level 16: Ki Strike +3
Purity of body and Diamond Body: At level 5, the monk gain Purity of Body which
makes them immune to all diseases and immunity to poison at level 11 with
Diamond Body. Basically, now you don’t have to worry about suffer attribute
penalties that would hinder your ability to function.
Still-Mind: Seeing Perfect Self down below as to why this is useless.
Diamond Soul: You gain 10 + Your class level to your spell resistance.
Normally, a person’s spell resistance is just based on their highest class
level. (If you pure class then your spell resistance will be 20) For a monk
still is like having a free spell-resistance item. Plus, this stacks with a
Drow’s Spell resistance or spell resistance items.
Evasion & Improve Evasion: This feat allows the Monk to avoid damage Reflex
save spells or traps if they successfully save. You get evasion on your first
level. At level 9, you get improve invasion evasion, which is a better version
of evasion. Improve evasion allows you to avoid just evasion, but if you fail
your save you only 50% damage.
Knockdown/Improve Knockdown: Knockdown gives one the ability to knockdown their
opponent based on strength modifier between PC’s strength bonus vs. NPC’s
strength bonus. Knockdown only works against those the same size and smaller,
leaving the opponent prone and unable to defend oneself, losing a certain
amount of AC for one round. Improve Knockdown is the same Knockdown, but a
better version as you are able to knockdown opponent a size large than yourself.
Quivering Palm: As useful as Stunning Fist, except you get this at level 15 and
it kills your opponent rather than stunning them.
Whirlwind Kick: Requires a Dexterity score of 16 to get, which is no problem if
you put 16 points towards Dexterity from the get go. It’ll give a monk one or
two free attacks attempts depending on whether or not you are using Flurry
Fist. Combined with the Cleave feat, you’ll become storm of havoc.
Perfect Self: Your eyes glove, you’re immune to mind-inflicting spells and you
gain 10/- damage reduction. This is the reason why you twenty level of monk
without cross-classing.
- General Feats
Weapon Focus, Power Critical and Improve Critical: Weapon Focus increases your
chance to hit an enemy and increasing the monk’s damage.
Power Attack and Cleave: Power attack is useless to a monk, but cleave isn’t.
Power attack is a prerequisite for Cleave, which is the only reason why you are
getting this feat. Cleave gives you a free attack against a nearby enemy in
any direction. These feats are a must for a monk who is trying to make the
Cyclone build. Combined with Whirlwind kick, your character will become a
tornado of damage.
Dodge: For human characters who want to have a lot of AC.
Toughness: For Monks who want to increase their survivability.
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C. Gameplay
The Class
The monk is the most dangerous “pure” melee class of the original core group.
He doesn’t need a one-shot feat to double his damage like the paladin or buffs
to increase his ability to fight. His weapons continue to scale as he continues
to level up. One of this, the monk gets numerous defense abilities that allow
immunity or resistance to spells so you have a monster of a class.
Anyhow, the monk can do all of the melee positions: Point Guard and
Dreadnaught. Not can monk cover both positions, but they can perform both at
the same time once you get whirlwind attack, power, and cleave so can keep
aggro while pursuing the boss.
Pre-Battle
Unless you have potions or an NPC wizard to buff you, the only thing you can do
is run head on into your enemy or enemies.
Melee
If you played a Fighter class then this should be no different. In the
beginning, you’ll be tanking, but later on you be tanking and making a B-Line
for the boss.
Range
Like any other Warrior class, you shouldn’t be in the back.
Strengths
- Monks have high saves.
- Monks can do high damage.
- Monks get immunities to poison, disease and mind-inflicting abilities.
- Monks are never weighed down by heavy equipment.
Weakness
- Monks only get 8 Hit Dice so a 14 Constitution is a must.
- Monks are still vulnerable to Sneak Attacks and will lose their Dexterity
score if flanked.
- Monks start off as a weak class until they get to level 6.
- Monks, like Paladins, are played straight-forward in terms of roleplaying
making them pretty boring.
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E. Races
All races except for Halfling and Gnomes are good to be Monk so long as you
give the Monk a Constitution score of 14, a Dexterity score of 16, and a
Strength score of 15. The reason the Halfling and Gnomes are poor choice is
because of their size, which cause them to get knockdown a lot. So long your
character is medium size and meets the three attribute requirements no race is
truly bad to play the monk.
Gold Dwarves are also bad candidates due to their attribute penalties towards
Dexterity you so might want to reconsider choosing this race as well.
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F. Good Classes to take in consideration when multi-classing.
Fighter, Paladin or Blackguard: The 4 levels of a Warrior will grant the Monk a
4th attack. Combine with Two-Weapon Fighting feats, you can make an awesome for
Kama Monk.
Shadow Dancer: One level of Shadow dance will give you HIPs, if you’re a
stealth monk.
Cleric: One level of cleric with Air and War will give the Monk Uncanny Dodge
and a feat Weapon Focus feat towards your first if you pick the right God.
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G. FAQ
1. Is this build for the original Campaign?
Nope, just a general build for the general player.
2. Why didn't you include the Assassin, Black Guard or Wizard/Sorcerer
multi-class suggestions based builds?
You would need to devote 10 levels of Assassin to be affective because there's
no reason to go halfway or partial like some builds since the Assassin gets
great feats such as Death Attack and HIPs. Black Guard is also was excluded
for similar reasons.
3. Why do you believe the Halfling and Gnomes always suck in your FAQs?
Knockdown, nuff said.
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H. Copyright and Permission
All the material written here is copy of myself and will not be used without
permission from me.
(c) Tony Mark, March 2007